Sleeve-type ball joint



April 13 1926.

L. D. WOODRUFF SLEEVE TYPE BALL JOINT Filed June 2 1922 ga /H a 0 Patented Apr. 13, 1926.

, LIOKIDAS ID. WOODBUFI, or

m we. :om'r.

Application fled June 86,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, L'noNmAs D. Woon- RUFF, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State 5 of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sleeve-Type Ball Joints; and .I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the ac- 1 companying drawings, forming part of this specification.

This invention relates to joints of the ball and socket variety for'general use although. particularly adapted in connection with-the steam piping of railway trains.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a sleeve type ball joint of such design as to permit the use of gaskets cut from ordinary Y sheet packing of the proper material.

A second object of the present invention is the provision of a'ball joint which can be'manufactured at ,a lower cost than the usual types by virtue of}; the illustrated construction. which eliminates to a large measure the machining j parts hitherto thought essential. In the drawings Figure 1 is a central vertical section so throu h a typical example, of ball joint ernbo ying the present invention. Fig. 2 is a cross section mg rmg.

the casing being provided with the usual hexagby threads in the customary manner,

onal nut 12 and the small. lugs 14 perfo- 40 rated to receive cotter pins {-515 after the two casings have been screwed'together to the proper tightness, these cotter pins 15 passing between adjacent ribs 16 carried by the sleeve 11 which connection prevents the 45 casing and sleeve 11 from unscrewing.

The'ball member 18 and he lower meta gasket 18 816 also of the usual type nowcommon in the art, the novel elements of the joint being those now to be .described. The

.60 floating ring 20 has an outer cylindrical;

surface 21, a plain lower surface 22, and conical upper-and innersurfaces 23 and 24, respectively, the latter surfaces forming in cross section an acute angle as best seen in g 1012. Serial Io. $10,780:

Fig. 2. This floatingring is undercut, angular annular surface .24 being straight and the bearing portion not being machmed circular to- "conform to the shape of the ball 18 in order to prevent the 00-- ;hesive friction which would be caused if the floating ring were machined to fit the cmoaeo, rumors, assrenoa rohnnm n woonaun',

or cmcaeo, mmora.

ball or was made of the same curvature as theball.

In the major cavity of the casing 10 is placed a spring bearing at its free end on the slightly concave surface 31 of the forming sleeve 32 which is an annularmember: having a cylindrical outer surface 33 relieved at the bottom by a slight bevel 34 and having an inwardly-projecting flanlge- 35 the face ,36 of which is substantia spherical, the lower face 37 substantially. plain, and the upper surface 31 as previously stated being slightly dished. The gasket 40 preferably consisting of a plurality of thicknesses of one-sixteenth inch material is plinched between the casing and the sleeve w ich members may be provided with an annglar groove 41 and an annular rib 42 of th same diameter, if desired, in order to more securely hold thegasket 40. This gasket before being applied is a simple flat ring, but when laid in theijoint it is directed by ring into lapping engagement with the ball 18 and at its upper end itisengaged,

the forming sleeve thus causing the ball.

While it is preferable to use two or more thicknesses of thin sheet material tofformthe gasket in order that it may more readily adapt itself to the sphericalsurface of the ball and to yield with movement of the e secured when using thick.

and effects of any irre obviated which e sult in a setting up of-a vibration or an irregular circular motion of the ball and would swage 'or hammer an ordinary the upper face 23 of the floating guided, and posltioned by the faces 44 and 37 of the gasketto engage snuglythe sphericalsiirface of is I .95 20, the -purpose of the-Qslidable ring is' p sin'le ply sheet, material up to say five-slxteent s of an inchgasket back ofi the ball thus allowing cinders and sand 1 to creepin between the surface of the ball and the lower surface of the gasket resulting in an'iinproper seating of the gasket.

It has been proposed to make the flange 35 integral with the casing 10, but the experimental types built in this manner have shown that when the joint between the two casings, that is, the casing 10 and the sleeve 11, was suiticiently tight to hold certain gaskets, the flange 35 would bind againstthe ball 18 and that it was practically impossible to prevent such undue pressure and the consequent locking of the ball, and furthermore when the position of the center of the sphere of the ball is lowered due to the usual wear, and the gasket has become hard by continued use the hammer action of the ball in its irregular movement would pound the gasket back and the onrush of steam would not lap the gasket properly against the ball resulting in a serious leakage.

But since the slidable sleeve 82 is yieldingly held against the ball at all times leakage is entirely prevented and it is not possible to put excess pressure on the gasket due to irregular action of the ball since the sleeve itself may move upward with the ball to a certain extent. Undue movement of-the ball in' the direction of the casing 10 is however prevented by the engagement of the top wall 45 with the shoulder 46 formed in the body portion or casing 10, this contact in suring against back thrust of the ball injuring the gasket. Similarly, the bearing sleeve, while guaranteeing that the gasket will hug the ball at a regulated distance at all times, is so constructed that the downward pressure of the steam together with the pressure of the spring may not force the gasket where it is overlapped on the ball sufliciently hard as to bind the ball or to unduly wear the gasket, the surface 36 of the sleeve engaging the ball at such a diameter as to prevent this action.

llhe floating ring 20 materially assists the sleeve in reducing vibrations of the ball and permits the yielding sleeve to act as a sup port for the ball. The action of the spring 30 tends to force the sleeve into the space triangular in cross section between the casing 10 and the ball, thusinsuring that the ball even when moved quickly will not be thrown out of its circular path, the ring 20 moving upwardly with the .ball against the action of the spring 30.

An important feature of the present invention is the elimination of careful machining. The slidable sleeve 32 may be a mere roughly finished casting, the floating ring 20 as stated is not spherical at its contact with the ball but is merely undercut, and an accurate contour of the metalgasket 19 is likewise not at all essential as by providing the yielding slidable sleeve the position of the ball, that is, whether high or low, will not affect the action between the ball and memes this gasket 19. The ring 20 by its wedge shape stabilizes the ball to a considerabie (icgrec and prevents the very objectionable movement of the ball from one side to the other. a

The ring as shown has a plurality of functions: it counteracts vibration, seeming to insure that the ball moves in a true circle; it supports the overlapping gasket; it Wipcs the ball free of cinders and the like; and it lifts the gasket. by the caunn-ing action of its upper surface with a corresponding reduction of friction by permitting only a small portion of the gasket to come into contact with the ball.

What I claim is:

1. In a ball joint, a floating ring having an inclined face to engage the flexible gasket of said joint to lessen the amount of contact between said gasket and the ball said ring being movable toward and away from the gasket.

2. In a gasketed ball joint, a floating ring and a forming sleeve adapted to engage opposite sides of said gasket, said ring hav-- ing a conical ball engaging face; 3. In a ball joint, a ball, a pair of caslngs surrounding said .ball from opposite sides, a. flexible gasket held between said casmgs, a floating ring having three annular faces and engaging said ball with one of its said faces, engaging said gasket with another of its said faces, and engaging one of the casings with the third of said faces.

4- In a ball joint, a ring engaging said ball and a forming sleeve having an outer cylindrical casing engaging surface, said sleeve also having an inner flange adapted to engage said ball and a gasket between said ring and sleeve. C 4 Y 5. In a. ball joint, a. gasket forming sleeve having an outer cylindrical surface, an inwardly directed annular flange, and an inclind guiding surface directing into contact with said ball.

6. In a ball joint, a gasket forming sleeve having an outer cylindrical surface, an in- Wardly directed .annular flange, and an inclined guiding surface directing the gasket into contact with said ball, said flange having a'ball engaging spherical surface.

7 In a ball joint, a gasket forming sleeve having an outer cylindrical surface, an inwardlydirected annular flange,.an inclined guiding surface directing the gasket into contact with said ball, said flange having a ball engaging spherical surface, and having a dished upper face.

8. In a. ball joint, a. pair of sliding ball engaging rings both located on the same side the gasket of a plane through the center of the ball,

means intermediate the ball and casing for deflecting the inner edge of the gasket ugward, and fuither means for limiting t c upward deflection of said inner edge.

10. In a ball joint, a casingiea sleeve, a ball enga ing gasket secured tween said casing an sleeve, a ball member within said sleeve, and means for sup orting said gasket wliile restricting contact etween it and said ba ll 11. In a ball joint, a casing, a sleeve, a ball engaging gasket secured between said casing and sleeve, a ball member within said sleeve, and means for supporting and deflecting the central portion of said gasket.

12. In a ball joint, a casing, a sleeve, 0. ball enga ing gasket secured between said casing and sleeve, a ball member within said sleeve, and three s aced annular members, each engaginw sai ball two of said annular member determining the working contour of the third member.

13. In a ball joint, a casing; a sleeve, a ball enga ing gasket secured etween said casing an sleeve, a ball member within said sleeve, three spaced annular members each engaging said ball, and means for urging one of said members toward the other two.

14. In a ball 'oint, a casin a sleeve secured thereto, a all positione between said sleeve and easing, a lurality of spaced rings within said s eeve, a resiliently mounted slidable rin within said casing, a gasket between two 0% said rings, and means carried by. said slidable ring for limiting the back thrust of said ball.

15. In a ball joint of the type employing an annular gasket on either side of the center of the ball, characterized by the provision of a third ball-enga ing gasket slidable within the ball cham er and ada ted to.

stabilize the ball when in motion, sald third ILEONIDAS D. WOODRUFF. 

